USA > California > Marin County > History of Marin County, California also an historical sketch of the state of California > Part 36
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31I
POINT REYES TOWNSHIP.
the finest harbor on the coast, is still left a feeble memorial, in the name of a closely adjoining dent in the coast line. To the English, then, it may be believed belongs the credit of finding San Francisco bay."
It is, however, now most generally conceded that Drake never saw inside of the Bay of San Francisco. Humboldt was the first to correct the com- mon belief in this matter, holding that it was farther north, under the par- allel thirty-eight degrees and ten minutes, a bay called by the Spaniards "Puerto de Bodega." This place could not have borne that name at the time of Drake's visit to the Pacific coast, for it was not till 1775 that a dis- tinguished Spanish navigator by the name of Lieutenant Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra, in a naval vessel called the "Sonora," entered this bay and after carefully exploring it, gave it the name of Bodega in honor of himself. This subject will be found fully pursued in our chapter on the general history and early settlement of the county.
GOLD .- The chronicler of Drake's voyage wrote: " The earth of the country seemed to promise rich veins of gold and silver, some of the ore being constantly found on digging." Little credit is generally given to this assertion of the Rev. Mr. Fletcher, but it is, however, a fact that gold does exist in greater or less quantities all over this section. At Tomales point there is a place called Gold gulch, where sluices were put in and placer min- ing carried on quite extensively in 1865-66, and the yield averaged two dollars and a half a day to the man. It is fine flake dust, hence much of it was lost. Lack of water caused them to abandon the enterprise. There are also quartz lodes here that promise well. Seven assays averaged of gold thirty dollars and eighty-three cents, and of silver fifty-four dollars and ten cents.
GRANITE .- It is worthy of mention in this place that there is a large out- cropping of granite at Tomales point, and that Point Reyes is also composed of the same rock. This is the only out-cropping of this rock in Marin county. It is of a grayish color, coarse and not well adapted for economical purposes.
Nothing more remains to be said of this township. Its industry is staple and will always cause it to be prosperous. Only one thing is lacking, and that is that its farmers should be land owners instead of renters. Then would be inaugurated an era of prosperity little dreamed of now. This time will come sooner or later.
312
HISTORY OF MARIN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
SAN ANTONIO.
GEOGRAPHY .- San Antonio township is bounded on the north by Sonoma county, on the west by Tomales township, on the south by Nicasio township, on the east by Novato township. The arroyo San Antonio is the only stream in the township, and it is only a small creek. There were for- merly two quite large lagunas in it, but they have been drained lately, and are now in a high state of cultivation, yielding the finest of potatoes.
TOPOGRAPHY .- The general surface of this section is rolling, some ranges of hills, culminating in quite high and sharp ridges. A great portion of it, however, is level enough for all practical purposes of farming, and is espe- cially well adapted for grazing. The valleys are quite wide, and extend for many miles in length, the principal one of which is the Chileno.
SOIL .- The soil of San Antonio is generally a sandy loam, and well adapted to the growing of grass, grain and vegetables. Some considerable grain is grown here, perhaps more than in any other township in the county. No great amount of fruit is raised, but quite large areas of potatoes are planted every year.
CLIMATE .- The climate in San Antonio is generally mild and pleasant. It is far enough removed from the sea to be free from the heavy fogs inci- dent to the coast, and, is yet not so far but that the cool breezes pass over it and reduce the temperature to a mild and pleasant condition. It is true that during the Summer season these winds are at times very strong, but yet they are not disagreeable.
PRODUCTS-The products of this township do not vary much from the general county, except that more grain and potatoes are raised here than elsewhere. The business of dairying is followed quite extensively, and a great amount of butter is annually produced. While fruit trees and vines thrive well, but little attention is paid to their cultivation, except here and there an orchard or vineyard.
TIMBER .- Timber is a very scarce article in this township; redwood and pine being altogether unknown, an l but little oak and laurel grows here.
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SAN ANTONIO TOWNSHIP.
EARLY SETTLEMENT .- The first prominent settlers were, evidently, Ramon Mesa and Bartolome Bojorques, both of whom received grants of land from the Mexican government. They located in 1844 and 1845 respectively, and were men of families. But little is now known of them farther than what can be gleamed from the descendants of the latter. Nothing is known of their former life, except that they had lived in some of the south- ern settlements previous to coming to Marin county. Among the early settlers of other nationalities may be mentioned Allen T. Wilson, deceased, who came in 1853; and Andrew DeMartin, William Brown, deceased, and Elisha Light who came in 1855; and Charles Martin who came in 1856; and D. S. Frasier who came in 1859. Of course there are others, such as Joshua Brackett, Pedro J. Vasquez, George N. Cromwall, Martin F. Gormley and others, but very little is known of them now.
GRANTS .- The Soulajulle rancho was granted to Ramon Mesa March 29, 1844, by Manuel Micheltorena. It was a four league-grant, and contained nine thousand four hundred and fifty-one and ninety-two one-hundredths acres. This rancho was subsequently confirmed to the following persons : Joshua S. Brackett, two thousand four hundred and ninety-two and nineteen one-hundredths acres ; Pedro J. Vasquez, three thousand seven hundred and seventy-four and twenty one-hundredths acres; George N. Cromwall, nine hundred and nineteen and eighteen one-hundredth acres; and Martin F. Gormley, two thousand two hundred and sixty-six and twenty-five one- hundredths acres. The rancho Laguna de San Antonio was granted to Bar- tolome Bojorques, November 25, 1845, by Pio Pico. It was a six-league grant and contained twenty-four thousand nine hundred and three and forty-two one-hundredths acres. It was confirmed to the granter. The area of this once princely landed estate has dwindled down to only thirty acres. There are quite a number of the descendants of this family living on this tract, which is known locally as " Spanish Town."
SCHOOLS .- There are three school districts in this township, viz: Chileno valley, San Antonio and Laguna. The school-houses are widely separated and the schools small, owing to the fact that the tracts of land are large and families far removed from each other.
But little more remains to be said of San Antonio. It is removed from the general line of travel, and its citizens are quiet, industrious and thriv- ing, hence there is not so great a field for the historian to work in as in some other townships. What little can be said, however, is good.
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314
HISTORY OF MARIN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
SAN RAFAEL
GEOGRAPHY .- San Rafael township lies in the south-eastern portion of Marin county, being bounded on the south by Saucelito township, on the west by Bolinas and Nicasio townships, on the north by Novato township, and on the east by San Pablo bay.
CLIMATE .- The following remarks on the climate of the San Rafael valley are from the pen of H. A. DuBois, M. D., and appeared in the transactions of the Medical Society of the State of California. Unhappily the tables referred to therein we were unable to procure, still so clear is Dr. DuBois' exposition of the sanitary advantages of the district that figures are not needed to prove his case :-
" We desire briefly to call the attention of the profession to the valley of San Rafael as a sanitarium for chronic diseases, especially of the lungs, as its situation, being only a little over one hour in time from San Francisco, makes it much more convenient, than more distant and less accessible places, for many invalids and invalid families. This very nearness to San Fran- cisco is apt to interfere with a correct idea of its climate. Invalids arriving in San Francisco are almost certain to seek for the climate that they desire much further south, and to think that several hundred miles in that direc- tion must separate the cool and stimulating atmosphere of the city from the warm, equable climate in which they desire to spend all their. time in the open air. Strangers do not know that general climatic conditions in Cali- fornia are so modified by local causes, as within the distance of a few miles to give rise to climates the most diverse. San Rafael possesses an equable climate-its range of temperatures is not great, and during the hours that the invalid is able to be out of doors it is remarkably uniform. The air is dry; but not stimulating ; its elevation is but fifty feet above the sea level. During nine months in the year there is little or no wind, while, during March, April and May there are occasional heavy winds, and during the greater portion of these months there is more or less air in motion. We take it, that the chief benefit to be derived from climate by the invalid consists in the possibility of an out-door life, and of almost constant exposure to the sun's rays ; and that that climate, as a rule, is the best, in which the invalid can spend the greatest amount of time in the open air, free from the danger
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SAN RAFAEL TOWNSHIP.
of too great exposure. Other elements, of course, come in-as elevation, constitution of the air, electrical condition ; but they are of comparatively little importance compared to those conditions which allow, in the individual case, of constant out-door life.
" What are the facts, then, in regard to this climate ? First-As to equa- bility, we find 'the greatest daily range of the thermometer from three daily observations to be, for May, fourteen degrees ; June, eighteen degrees ; July, seventeen degrees ; August, eighteen degrees ; September, eighteen degrees; October, seventeen degrees ; November, eighteen degrees; December, twenty-three degrees ; January, twenty degrees. As to extremes, during the nine months there were ninety-nine days in which the daily range was between fifty-five and seventy degrees Fahrenheit, and twenty-one of these were in November, and thirteen in December, while nineteen days in the latter month fell between forty-five and sixty degrees Fahrenheit. The high- est temperature was at three P. M., September 14th, eighty-five degrees Fahrenheit; the lowest, December 6th, at nine A. M., forty-two degrees Fahrenheit - the greatest difference between the extremes for the whole nine months, being thus only forty-three degrees Fahrenheit.' (Article by writer in New York Medical Record, No. 150 and 151, for May, 1872.) ' As to rain and wind, there were only thirty-four days of rain, while at Mentone, eighty are reported as the yearly average, but though the rainy days are few in number, yet the quantity of rain that falls amounts to some forty-four inches. Only eleven days are reported as cloudy, and no rain ; five as sultry, owing to there being little air, and the temperature upwards of eighty degrees Fahrenheit ; one hundred and eighty-four days in which the wind was light, twenty-four in which it was brisk, and twenty-five in which there was a strong wind. On two hundred and thirty-one days a north- west wind is noted, on twenty-six a south-east, on two east, and on nine' a south-west wind.' As to moisture, we find (one thousand being saturation) that the mean for June was seven hundred and forty-eight ; for July, seven hundred and seventy-three; August, eight hundred and thirteen ; Septem- ber, eight hundred and sixty-five; October, seven hundred and eighty-six ; November, eight hundred and twenty-seven ; December, eight hundred and eighty-six; January, eight hundred and eighty-three ; February, eight hundred and fifty-four ; March, eight hundred and sixty-eight ; April, eight hundred and seven ; May, seven hundred and seventy-nine. How does this climate compare with others ? It corresponds closely with that of Mentone in the south of France, that is to say, during the Autumn and Winter months, but it is dryer, more equable, and has more days that the invalid can spend out of doors. On the other hand, it is more foggy and windy. As to scenery, they are nearly equal, but Mentone possesses fine walks and drives, and old associations render everything more interesting to the invalid. A foreign language and people, however, more than counterbalance these advantages.
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HISTORY OF MARIN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
The accommodations in both places are good, but the food in Mentone is little varied, and the market illy supplied, while the nearness of San Rafael to San Francisco enables persons residing there to obtain everything that a delicate palate may crave.
" To sum up, we would say that Mentone is a more stimulating but a less equable climate than San Rafael. While the former answers admirably in cases not too far gone, the latter is better adapted to relieve the sufferings of those in the last stages of many chronic diseases, particularly pulmonary phthisis, Bright's disease and chronic diseases of the heart and liver, accom- panied by dropsy. (A more extended account of the climates of these two places will be found in the article already referred to.)
" Compared with that of Santa Barbara, the climate of San Rafael has a general similarity, but it is not quite so warm, is not subject to as sudden changes, and has fewer wind storms. On the other hand, it does not, like Mentone and Santa Barbara, have a splendid sea beach. The invalid is con- fined to a valley only half a mile wide by a few miles in length, while at Santa Barbara he has a more extensive range, more amusements and a larger circle of society, but he has to encounter a tiresome stage journey, or take the chances of a night landing in small boats should he go by steamer .* With Los Angeles, San Rafael has few points of comparison ; while the former is warm, moist and excessively relaxing, the latter is dry, and while not decidedly bracing, is yet anything but relaxing. Los Angeles, in my opinion, is an unsuitable climate for pulmonary disease, without it be some forms of chronic bronchitis-the same as improve when sent to a warm, moist climate, as the Sandwich Islands. Dr. Griffin, who has resided there some twenty years, informed me that he considered the climate one of the worst that could be selected by an invalid suffering from disease of the lungs. These remarks do not apply to the country fifteen to thirty miles inland. Compared with San Diego, San Rafael is not so warm or so dry. While the former is, probably, one of the dryest climates on the Pacific coast, and may in that and other respects be compared with Egypt, San Rafael is only mod- erately dry. We think that especially in the months of March, April and May, the invalid, if able to travel, would find San Diego preferable to San Rafael. The accommodations are good, and the landing is directly on the wharf.
" With Denver, while all of the above places are better suited to the more advanced stages of chronic disease, Colorado and Minnesota are adapted to the earlier stages. Denver and its neighborhood are between five thousand and six thousand feet above the sea. The climate is bracing and stimulating to all the organs. It is dry, and subject to sudden changes; it is well adapted to restore vitality, and to cause every organ to do its full work, but
* We believe these inconveniences do not now exist.
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SAN RAFAEL TOWNSHIP.
it is a climate that only carefully selected cases should be sent to. Unfort- unately, the physician is seldom consulted as to habitation early in chronic disease, when Colorado would, indeed, form a sanitarium. The climate is peculiarly adapted to asthma, whether the result of premature birth, of a gouty diathesis, or other cause. San Rafael also answers well in this respect, as the numerous asthmatics, now residents, sufficiently prove, but I do not think it is as deserving of praise as Denver in this complaint. Its nearness to a large city, however, may often give it the preference.
"With Minnesota, St. Paul, Minneapolis, the pineries-all have the most stimulating of climates, and are still more subject to sudden changes than those of Colorado. They are well adapted to picked cases, but only to these -to the early stages, to give permanent homes to those inclined to disease of the lungs, but as yet unaffected. To those in the latter stages of phthisis a residence, generally, means one under ground.
"With New Mexico, there are many climates in Mew Mexico; some, as Santa Fe, possessing equability, with moderate warmth, great dryness and considerable elevation, entire freedom from fogs and strong winds. They are, I believe, the most perfect climates for the class of cases that generally ask advice of a physician as to residence, those whose organs are seriously involved, but in whom the powers of life are still moderately strong. Unfort- unately, these climates are for the present unavailable, except at the cost of great fatigue, and the accommodations are of the poorest, and the food still worse, while there is an entire absence of the society which is often as need- ful to the invalid as climate. Appended will be found a carefully prepared table of temperatures, moisture, force and direction of wind, clearness or cloudiness of sky, and amount of rainfall, the result of those daily observa- tions made during 1873-4 under my observation. I would remark that this year was one of the most rainy that has occurred during my residence, now some six years.
"I have thus briefly called your attention to this climate as one possessing certain advantages over most others, and have tried to mention some of the differences between it and others, having in every case written after actual residence, except with respect to San Diego.
"During the last ten years I have had the opportunity of watching the effect of several of these climates on chronic diseases, so that I can write with more confidence than I otherwise could do. If physicians residing in other health resorts will place on record in our 'Transactions' a similar table to that appended, giving an accurate record of the climate for one year, and will note briefly their observations of its effects in chronic diseases, especially of the lungs, they will enable the profession generally to select suitable climates for their patients, which at present it is, from want of the neces- sary local knowledge, difficult or impossible for them to do with anything like skill."
318
HISTORY OF MARIN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
DESCRIPTIVE .- Whithersoever Spain, in the days of her greatest enter- prise and glory, dispatched her flag on voyages of maritime discovery, the missionary zeal of the Church of Rome contemporaneously sent the heralds of the cross. The State and Church in these enterprises acted in concert ; the object of the one being to add lustre to the crown and grandeur to the kingdom by planting prosperous colonies in the territories of the New World; the purpose of the other was to superadd power to the See of Rome by achieving new conquests for the church of Christ. These intel- ligent missionaries became, in their turn, great explorers; they searched out countries discovered (by the crown) ; and with an eye to utility as well as a taste for natural beauty, they planted their missions precisely in those spots where nature had been most lavish in her beneficent gifts. Under the guidance and discrimination of such men a mission was established at San Rafael, a sweet little valley, nestled in a surrounding frame-work of hills, like a lovely picture judiciously set in a frame of tasteful ornamentation. There are still standing rows of stately old pear trees, planted by the old missionaries, which are witnesses of their own antiquity as well as that of the mission itself; and here also are to be seen the huge stumps of their now neglected vineyard.
A run of something less than an hour by steam ferry across the Bay of San Francisco lands you at Point San Quentin, twelve miles distant ; whence about ten minutes more, by rail, brings you to the picturesque village of San Rafael, situated in the valley of that name. From the Point we get a first glimpse of the lower edge of the village, across the stretch of the bay, like a gem pendant in the ear of beauty.
The valley of San Rafael proper will average about a mile in width, by about four miles, stretching out longitudinally in very nearly a direct east and west course, the eastern end opening out upon the bay. The surround- ing hills constituting the immediate framework of the valley, of a magnitude a little less than mountains, are covered from bottom to top with luxuriant herbage, furnishing nutritious pasturage; while the green surface is well dotted with the evergreen live-oak, laurels and other indigenous arborescent growth.
Looking away toward the south-west the eye is attracted by the tower- ing majesty of Mount Tamalpais, which, lifting its ambitious head high above its neighbors, reaches an altitude of two thousand seven hundred feet. It is a grand sight in the background of the picturesque scene. Tamalpais is the monarch of a mountain range stretching away to the south-west and west towards the coast, constituting the outer moulding of the framework of the valley. The rocks upon the apex of Tamalpais are so disposed that, viewed from the village, they resemble the upturned face of a huge giant, reposing upon his back. Nor is this resemblance the result of an over- strained imagination, it is real. It was not difficult for the savage mind to
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SAN RAFAEL TOWNSHIP.
imagine that this was the face of the guardian genius of the scene, ever watching with sleepless vigilance over the welfare of the charming valley below.
We have used the expression San Rafael valley proper, to distinguish it from other valleys which, with their principal one constitute a system. Passes between the hills, sometimes not distinctly discernable until a near approach, lead into other valleys, each possessed of qualities and charms peculiar to itself, the whole constituting a delightful variety.
The most extensive of these lateral vales is called "Magnolia valley," (formerly Irwin's) though it would be more correct to say that this is really an extension, in a north-west direction, of the valley of San Rafael itself, the lower or eastern end of the village being built over its southern extrem- ity. A drive along the Petaluma avenue leads through Magnolia valley. . The road, like all the drives around the village, is in excellent condition; the weather delightful ; the scene enchanting. The spots of level plain ; the gentle undulations; the graceful slopes; the abrupt acclivities of the hills, all carpeted with the soft green sward, which was bedecked and bespangled with an endless variety of brilliant wild flowers intermingled with those of more modest hue, but not therefore less beautiful; the surface dotted here and there with copses of native shrubbery, the flowering madrona, the evergreen oak, the lofty and wide-spreading laurel; all these constitute an extended and lovely parterre which gratifies the eye, and constantly appeals with an irresistible charm to the innate sense of the beautiful.
This valley is the property of William T. Coleman, a commission merchant of San Francisco. He is expending liberally, to add new charms to what nature originally made so beautiful. Former owners of this prop- erty, for the purpose of utilizing the valuable timber and to adapt the fertile soil to the plow, had denuded large tracts of the valley and side hills of trees. Mr. Coleman resolved not only to restore what nature originally had done, but, if possible, to improve upon her handiwork.
With this purpose he planted an extensive nursery, composed in part of that fine evergreen exotic the eucalyptus or Australian gum, which grows with such wonderful rapidity, and which, with its broad leaves and graceful top, makes so admirable a shade and ornamental tree. But to furnish variety, and to leave nothing to be desired in this regard, he also supplied the nursery with the pepper tree, the magnolia, orange, lemon, almond, accacia, ash, chestnut, cypress, maple, the pine, the walnut, and various other ornamental and fruit trees, all of which flourish in the valley. From this extensive nursery he has transplanted and is yearly transplanting tens of thousands along the hills and vales of Magnolia valley and its surround- ings. The ground occupied by this nursery is twelve acres, designed to be reserved as a public park after it shall have fulfilled present purposes.
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